Florida Sinkhole Swallows Part of a Disney World Area Resort

About 50% of a three-story villa in Central Florida collapsed into a sinkhole around 3 A.M. on Monday, and a neighboring building was also destroyed. Dozens of guests at the Summer Bay Resort, about 10 miles west of Disney World, evacuated at least two buildings late Sunday when they "heard the buildings popping," said a resort security worker. There were no immediate reports of injuries as it appears everyone got out before the structures actually sank. According to reports, guests had only 10 to 15 minutes to leave before the collapse, forcing many to leave personal items inside.

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Although everyone made it to safety, some guests couldn't exit through the front door. Witness Maggie Ghamry said a man, his wife and their infant "had to break a window so they could escape" because their door frame collapsed. As for Ghamry, she said she initially thought someone was getting into a fight. "I was walking into the room and I heard 'bang, bang, bang' and glass breaking," she said. "I ran back to the car and I told my family, we have three toddlers with us, 'Jump in the car, I have a bad feeling.'"

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Resort president Paul Caldwell said he got a call from his staff at about 10:30 p.m. about the sinking villas. "My heart sunk. I was sick to my stomach," he said. Caldwell guesses that if the guests hadn't been evacuated quickly, people would've gotten hurt.

Unfortunately, Florida is no stranger to this type of disaster. Just five months ago, a large sinkhole swallowed 36-year-old Jeffrey Bush and his bedroom in Tampa, FL. He was presumed dead as his body was never recovered and the house was destroyed.

What do you think of the sinkholes near Disney World? Share your thoughts in the comments below.